Mar 21, 2016

Avihai Mandelblit says 'no' to Gafni

Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit has published his official opinion that the Mikva Law being pushed by MK Moshe Gafni is unconstitutional (even though we have no constitution), as it harms people's personal rights to freedom of religious worship.
source: Kooker, among others

I find it very interesting that it is specifically Avihai Mandelblit, the new State Attorney General who is himself a frum (Haredi, even) Jew, is the one person in the entire government that is bold enough to stand up and tell Gafni that he cannot do something.

Everybody else is worried about coalition stability and politics, and Mandelblit is the one guy saying no, and it is on a religious issue that one would think would be close to his heart and he would be pretty close to Gafni in his opinion of the matter.

I am not accusing Mandelblit of being an "Uncle Tom" or having the need to prove himself as not biased towards Haredi interests, as people worry will happen whenever a Jews runs for office in the United States. Mandelblit seems like a good, honest guy serving with integrity and I am sure he truly finds the current proposal to be bad and has the strength to stand up to it where nobody else does due to personal interests.


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5 comments:

  1. Mordechai Y. ScherMarch 21, 2016 4:37 PM

    This is a good example of why an independent A-G is so necessary. His job description allows and requires him to represent the established law rather than political interests.

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    1. AnonymousMarch 21, 2016 9:27 PM

      and a shock to have a charedi govt official who wasn't afraid of being put in cherem , have his kid's shidduchim affected etc....

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    2. AnonymousMarch 21, 2016 11:48 PM

      Mordechai Scher - good comment. Makes no sense when a Rabbi has to put his allegiance first to govt and then to Torah. A rabbi has an obligation only to H' and His Torah.

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  2. JoshMarch 22, 2016 9:05 AM

    So Mandelblit is saying that the mikvas are really just public swimming pools and that must offer access to anyone to do what they want?

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    1. Rafi G.March 22, 2016 9:24 AM

      he is talking about freedom of religious worship so I think he is saying that public mikvas must be accessible to anyone who wants to use them for religious rites in the ways each person sees as their religious rite, and not be tied to the specific religious rite of one particular stream of people.

      I do wonder if some christians wanted to use a mikva for a baptism if they would have to allow it under Mandelblit's, or the Supreme Courts, definition

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